The present invention is generally related to remote data management, and, more particularly, the present invention is related to system and method for managing stored-value card data between a plurality of users and a central processor over a communications network. The stored-value card data is indicative of services and/or products prepaid by the owner or end user of the card. Examples of prepaid services that may be accommodated by the stored-value data include long distance telephone communication, wireless communication, paging and internet-enabled communication services, including wireless Web access. Other examples of prepaid services and/or products that may be accommodated by the stored-value card may also include gift cards, prepaid gas cards, prepaid grocery cards, prepaid entertainment cards, customer rewards cards and any other type of stored-value cards for products, services, or both, that may be prepaid by the owner of the card.
Prepaid long distance phone cards are generally used in the telephone industry to allow customers to prepurchase long distance calling time. Such cards are typically purchased in a predefined value. The card provides the customer with an amount of long distance calling time equal to the predefined value. The wireless, paging and internet cards are used to allow the customer to pre-purchase these services. Gift cards and other representations of stored-value cards allow the end-user to prepay for goods and/or services. The value is redeemed as these goods and/or services are delivered.
Each of the cards has an identification number printed and which identification could be magnetically stored therein. The identification number is also stored in a file in a database maintained by the card issuer. This file also stores the predefined value of the card. In the traditional business model, when the cards are sent to the retail location from which they will be sold the corresponding records in the database are activated, thus allowing the card to be used immediately by a customer. To use the card as a prepaid long distance card, the customer dials a toll free number to access the card issuer's system, enters the identification number, and then makes the desired long-distance call. During the call, the value of the card in the database is reduced as a function of phone charges accumulated during that call. When the value of the card is exhausted, the call terminates. If the customer ends the call before the value of the card is exhausted, the remaining value may be used for additional calls. Once the entire value of the card has been used, the card is discarded.
These prior art prepaid phone card systems have several disadvantages. For example, since the cards are active while on the shelf in the retail location, the cards may be stolen by a thief and easily used. One way to address some of the drawbacks of prior art prepaid phone card systems would be to install activation terminals unique to the prepaid card issuer. This is referred to as a “closed system.” U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,109 by Stimson et al. discloses such a closed system. In the Stimson system, the cards are not preactivated. Each of the retail locations from which cards are to be sold is provided with a dedicated activation terminal which allows the retail operator to set the value of the card at the time of the sale. The activation terminal connects to the card issuer's system to pass along the value amount and to request activation of the card. Depleted cards can be recharged in the same manner as they are sold. A serious disadvantage of the Stimson system is that it requires single-function dedicated hardware to be installed in each retail location, resulting in a very inflexible and expensive system.
US. Pat. No. 6,000,608 by Dorf provides a multifunction card system including a prepaid phone card activating system which allows cards to be purchased in varying amounts and to be recharged without requiring the use of a closed system to handle the transactions. Although Dorf purports to alleviate some of the drawbacks of Stimson by using point-of-sale devices connected to a banking system, it is believed that Dorf fails to associate in the record of the phone card identifiers that uniquely match a respective phone card and a respective terminal so as to enhance detection of potential security breaches that could ensue in any system accessible to a large number of users. It would be further desirable to provide a system that allows for selectively processing stored-value card requests, such as stored-value card activation, deactivation, and/or incrementing, based on a table of predefined codes associated with respective user groups.